Series Preview: Mets Host Struggling Cardinals

The New York Mets (32-36) have been under a ton of scrutiny for their poor start to the season, and rightfully so. After all, owner Steven Cohen has put a team together that has the largest payroll in all of baseball. While the Mets have underperformed, no team has been more disappointing than the St. Louis Cardinals (27-42). Oliver Marmol‘s team has lost five straight games, falling eight games back of the first-place Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central division. The Mets will look to take advantage of a Cardinals team that has little to no fight at this current moment in time. Here are some important notes to look t for each of the three pitching matchups.

Friday, June 16, 2023: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-3, 4.02 ERA) vs. RHP Tylor Megill (5-4, 5.14 ERA)

Miles Mikolas is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, making an All-Star team while pitching to a 3.29 ERA in 2022. The right-hander had an underwhelming start to this year, allowing five runs or more in each of his first three starts. Mikolas was able to settle down in the month of May, going 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six starts. He has failed to continue that success in recent weeks, allowing a total of 17 hits and seven earned runs over his last two outings. Mikolas will be making his fifth career appearance against the Mets, owning a 1-1 record with a 1.64 ERA in the previous 22 innings.

Tylor Megill has been a part of the starting rotation for the entire season, but if he cannot pitch better in his next start or two, he may lose his spot. José Quintana is on a rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie, so his return to the big leagues is right around the corner. That should put some pressure on Megill, who would like to state a case for why he should continue to start for the Mets. The right-hander is coming off his worst start of the year, allowing nine runs, seven of which were earned, on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Jun. 9. Megill’s only appearance against the Cardinals came as a rookie in 2021, surrendering six runs on nine hits in just three innings in September of that season.

Saturday, June 17, 2023: RHP Adam Wainwright (2-1, 5.79 ERA) vs. RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 3.34 ERA)

Adam Wainwright’s final big league season has not gone as planned, both individually and collectively. The veteran began the season on the injured list with a groin strain, an injury he suffered during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Wainwright has become much more of a contact pitcher at the age of 41, allowing seven hits or more in six of his outings this season. He has yet to have a quality start in 2023, as his longest appearance is just 5 2/3 innings. Wainwright will look to bounce back versus the Mets, a team he is 7-6 against with a 4.60 ERA in 86 innings throughout his career.

Kodai Segna has had his fair share of struggles in his first major league season, most of which have come away from Citi Field. While that may be true, the right-hander is coming off his best road performance in a Mets uniform. Senga allowed one run on two hits in seven innings against the Pirates last Saturday, helping New York snap a seven-game losing streak. The 30-year-old rookie has impressed, but the amount of walks he has given up is alarming. Senga has allowed three walks or more in 10 of his 12 appearances this season. He will make his seventh start at home, going 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in the previous six.

Sunday, June 18, 2023: LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-2, 5.14 ERA) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 5.71 ERA)

Matthew Liberatore was called up from Triple-A Memphis a month ago as the Cardinals searched for any kind of help in their rotation. The young left-hander has failed to make a significant impact in his brief time with the ball club, throwing five innings or less in three of his four starts. Liberatore had his best performance last time out, though, allowing two runs on seven hits in six innings against the San Francisco Giants last Monday. He will be put to the test in the series finale against the Mets, as the 23-year-old has an 8.04 ERA in 31 1/3 innings on the road in his career.

Like most of the starters for the Mets, Carlos Carrasco has been quite inconsistent in 2023. His inability to pitch deep into games has put more pressure on the bullpen, which has been forced to throw more innings than manager Buck Showalter would like. Carrasco struggled last time out, throwing 4 2/3 innings in a 2-1 loss against the Pirates last Sunday. Yes, he only allowed two runs on six hits; the Mets needed more length from him. Carrasco has thrown six innings or more twice this season, both of which came in the month of May. The 36-year-old has made three career starts against the Cardinals, going 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA in 16 1/3 innings.